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12 June 2008. The Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) G. Madhavan Nair chose ESPI for organizing a press conference during his stay in Vienna attending UNCOPUOS.

Taking the opportunity of attending the session of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS), the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), G. Madhavan Nair, visited ESPI for an interactive session with media and selected guests talking about recent achievements and future perspectives of the Indian space programme.

India has established itself as one of the major space actors during the past decades. The remarkable achievements of India in space are based on a determined space programme using satellites for the purpose of development in all areas of society ranging from environment and resource management to tele-education and tele-health. India is furthermore progressing as a provider for satellite launches and enters the field of space science and exploration. Through this, India has become a strong major power in space with a fleet of operative satellites and an autonomous capability of launching them. Further information on the Indian space endeavour can be found on: http://www.isro.org/

Among the topics raised by journalists and correspondents from the press, TV and radio during this session were the Moon programme of India and its future role in space exploration, particularly Indian human space flight plans, the development of its launcher programme and its commercial capabilities and the prospects for Indo-European space cooperation. Chairman Nair stressed the aiming for autonomous space capabilities by India but was very much open to cooperation in the fields of satellite manufacturing as well as satellite applications (like the coordination of the respective navigation programmes). He also stressed the peaceful purposes of the use of outer space and the immense role space plays for development. Mr. Nair welcomed the opportunity to hold this session at ESPI and looks forward to further cooperation with the institute.